A little Aviary for the Creative Crew

When I first saw this card, it practically imprinted itself on my brain! Of course, now that I want to share my version of it with you, I can't remember for the life of me where I first saw it. *sigh* This getting old business is NOT for sissies! Please let me know if this card idea was originally yours, because I wholeheartedly believe in giving credit where credit is due.

Our "global" theme this month at the Creative Crew is "sewing" in some way. You can expect to see a lot of projects in the Creative Crew gallery at SplitCoast and on my blog that will use fabric, the paper piercer and paper piercing pack, linen thread (must remember to order more!) and other things related to thread and sewing.

Within the global theme, we also create projects with a "focus". Today's project focuses on "fall" or "autumn" if you prefer.

I just LOVE fall - the colours, the beauty, the temperature, the fact that I can wear sweaters, etc. Yes, it's true. I'm a sweater JUNKIE! There was a time when if I brought home a sweater, DH would make me donate TWO to goodwill. It was THAT bad!

Here are my fall cards:

Now, I know that blue isn't traditionally a fall colour, but I just loved the look of Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip and Not Quite Navy together. Plus, the colour coach said it was a good idea. And really, you can't argue with the colour coach. See why here.

In this up close shot of the sentiment (from Petite Pairs), you can see I went a little nuts with the Colour Spritzer tool. I particularly like using the Colour Spritzer on Very Vanilla Cardstock, because it almost looks like our Naturals White Cardstock, which I'll be featuring in a later post. So, be on the lookout for that!

Yes, my little bird friend (as well as this cage) is fussy cut. You'll remember how much I LOVE doing this (NO sarcasm inserted here - LOL!) from this post...and this one too. It's no secret that I'm a fussy cutting freak and that fussy cutting is my "happy place".

THAT is great news for you! Why? Because if you come to any of my classes in which fussy cutting cutting is involved, I do it all for you! Some of my students might tell you that I'm fibbing because, on RARE occasions, I make them do it for themselves. That doesn't happen often though!

I'm sure you've noticed how straight and perfectly placed the cages are. No? Go ahead and look at the first picture again. I'll wait here...

I used my stamp-a-majig for stamping all the cages so I could get them "just so". If you don't own a stamp-a-majig, I suggest you attend one of my classes. It will quickly become your best friend as it's ideal for two step stamping and scene creation.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Aviary, Petite Pairs
INK: Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Not Quite Navy, Riding Hood Red
PAPERS: Very Vanilla, Not Quite Navy, Riding Hood Red
ACCESSORIES: Punches, Colour Spritzer, Stamp-a-majig, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Stampin' Queens Aviary gets a CCMC Colour Challenge

Another one where I wasn't too sure about the darker red (in this case Riding Hood Red) going well with the lighter colours of So Saffron and Pool Party. And again, I chose it as an accent colour and it worked out perfectly! (if I do say so myself - LOL!).

Here's my card for this week's Stampin' Queens' Sketch:

Since I FOUND the So Saffron piece that I lost from this post, I decided I would use it (that and the fact that it was part of the required colours - LOL!) as the base. Then I added a layer of Pool Party and one of So Saffron DSP.

I stamped the image of the cage using Basic Grey (another required colour) on Whisper White and punched it out using the 1 3/4" circle punch. My nod to Riding Hood Red is the 2 3/8" scalloped circle on which I layered the image.

Yes, I fussy cut the bird again. I couldn't help it! It looks so darn CUTE!!!

When all fails, cut it out!

I stamped that darn cage image FOUR times and I couldn't get it straight! I probably COULD have taken out my stamp-a-majig, but I guess I was feeling particularly stubborn! So...I just cut it out and popped it up on a few dimensionals. It works, right? Then I doodled around the edges using my Pool Party Marker. At least I got THAT right! SHEESH!!!!

Here's the sketch on which the card was based:

What do you think?

STAMPS: Aviary

INK: Basic Grey, Riding Hood Red

PAPERS: Whisper White, So Saffron, Pool Party and Riding Hood Red Cardstock; So Saffron DSP

ACCESSORIES: Punches, Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Aviary for Create with Connie and Mary

Remember this from yesterday?

Here's the rest of the story:

Earlier in June, I purchased a pass to the awesome Create with Connie and Mary New Catalogue Edition. This is the FIRST time they've done Create for the bit catalogue and I didn't want to miss out! I have NOT been disappointed!

Each week, Connie and Mary issue a challenge to the participants who have purchased a pass. Through the challenges, participants have to opportunity to win a pass to the NEXT Create with Connie and Mary. Well...I had good intentions LAST week - OOPS! - but didn't want to miss out this week! Here's my card:

Just like the rest of this week, I had cardstock already out on the table and it happened to be Daffodil Delight and Island Indigo. This weekend, I'm doing a class where we'll be using the notecards and the Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper, so I thought I'd use that and then I could show my "students" what ELSE they could do with the abundance of DSP they'll have left over (each participant get a full pack of notecards and a half pack of Summer Smooches DSP as part of their class fee).

I had the scraps already cut, so I just used those and then went on. It seemed like the PERFECT sketch for Aviary and since I think Aviary is a "bright and happy" set, it sounded like a great idea! (Can something "sound" like a great idea if the idea is in you head? LOL!)

I wanted a little sentiment on the card too, but didn't want something that would overwhelm the rest of the card. I always imagine the little birds from Aviary wanting to say hello, so that sentiment from Tiny Tags was just perfect!

And I decorated the inside too:

I stamped the same bird again in Rich Razzleberry, mimicking the bird on the front, minus the cage. I also added some Island Indigo sponging to the edges of the Whisper White Cardstock.

Here's an idea! The very next person that places an order through my online store will get THIS CARD in the mail!!! I won't even write in it, so you can use it yourself!

What do you think??


STAMPS: Aviary, Tiny Tags
INK: Basic Black, Island Indigo, Rich Razzleberry
PAPERS: Daffodil Delight, Island Indigo and Whisper White Cardstock; Summer Smooches DSP
ACCESSORIES: Punches, Bakers Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals


Happy Stampin'!

Love Notes!

So, late last week, I received my Simply Scored Diagonal Plate and had fun making some cute little envies to hold a 3 x 3 note card. Of course, I gave them all away at my class and FORGOT to take a pic - YIKES!

So, yesterday I decided to make up some envies that will hold a 1/4 sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 folded in half. The finished card is 2 3/4 x 4 1/4 - it's SO cute! Check this out:

I actually made the envelopes first - LOL! I had a sheet of Pool Party Designer Series Paper that was already out and decided to use it up. The cards came next and they're VERY simple, but also cute. And...as we all know, CUTE is where it's at!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Aviary, Little Friends (sentiment)
INK: Pool Party and Calypso Coral
PAPERS: Whisper White and Pool Party Cardstock (cards); Pool Party DSP (envies)
ACCESSORIES: Basic Rhinestones

Happy Stampin'!

January Team Cards

How cute is this:

Well...THAT was annoying! I typed out a WHOLE post and all I got was the "How cute is this" caption and even IT was in the wrong place. CLEARLY Blogger mobile needs some TWEAKING!!!

Anyway...these are my January Team Cards for the Canadian Blossoms. It's been a year since I launched my Stampin' UP! business into high gear! In that year, my "team" grew from me to FOURTEEN members! How awesome is THAT? I didn't keep track of how many cards I sent out this year, but I know it was a LOT! My team gets a card EVERY. SINGLE. MONTH.

This particular card was CASE'd from Diana Gibbs with a slight modification on the ribbon treatment. It was such a cute card, I couldn't help myself!

There's STILL time to get YOUR name on my list for January! My team cards go out on the first of the month (MOST of the time - LOL!), so you still have 12 days to join my team and be on the January list.

Don't despair though! If you can't can't join my team this month, I'm more than happy to have you join in January and add you to my list beginning with the February team cards. I haven't designed them yet, but I'm pretty sure they'll be awesome! :)

What do you think?

STAMPS: Aviary, Smarty Pants
INK: Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Old Olive, Poppy Parade
PAPERS: Whisper White, Marina Mist, Old Olive
ACCESSORIES: Punches, Ribbon

Happy Stampin'!

Caged Birds for the Stampin' Queens!

A little humour for you today...

Or...at least *I* thought it was funny. Get it? The birds found each other? But they're both caged? No? Oh well...I'll just keep chuckling to myself. It might just be the insanity of the season that's affecting me. Who knows?

And, my apologies for the blurriness...I'm pleading high on sugar from baking the lemon shortbread that I stamped with my Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps. They're lemon, so they're not my cup of tea but I had to taste them to make sure they were good. My hubby, however, loves them. Better on his hips than mine!

Anyway...I used this:

to stamp the cages! In the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalogue, Stampin' UP! introduced Clear-Mount Perfectly Placed Guides. These cling to the Clear Mount blocks to allow for PERFECT placement of stamps. You can line them up right on the block before you even start stamping. BRILLIANT! There are some in the package that fit right on the blocks and others that you can cut to size. There's even one with circles on it for circular text and one with wavy lines for wavy text - LOVE!

After I stamped the cages, I added the birds in Marina Mist. I probably should have used my Stamp-a-majig because the birds look like they're floating. We'll just say they're excited to see each other, OK?

The sentiment, from A Word for You, was stamped in Marina Mist and hand cut. It was added to a piece of Blushing Bride before being adhered to the front of the card.

Last but not least, here's the sketch on which the card was based:

What do you think?

STAMPS: Aviary, A Word for You
PAPERS: Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz Cardstock; Nursery Nest DSP
INKS: Pear Pizzazz and Marina Mist
ACCESSORIES: Clear-Mount Perfectly Placed Guides, Stampin' Dimensionals, Embossing Folder. Big Shot

Happy Stampin'!

Ten Card Class Preview

*WATERCOLOUR WEDNESDAY WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK*

I'll be teaching my first class as a Stampin' UP! demonstrator on April 30th and I couldn't be more thrilled. Creating the cards I'll be showing you is SO much fun!

Today, I thought I'd show you one of the cards we'll be making.  It uses our Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper.  I'll admit that when I first saw this paper, I was SURE it wasn't for me.  Having seen samples using it and now making cards using it myself, I've fallen in love with it!

If you can't make it to class, here are the step by step instructions to make this card:

• Cut a piece of Daffodil Delight Cardstock to 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" and score it at 4 1/4". Fold it in half.
• Cut a piece of Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper to 4" x 5 1/4" and adhere to the front of the card base.
• Cut a different pattern of Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper to 1 3/4" x 4 3/4" and mat it on a piece of 2" x 5" Chocolate Chip (yes, it looks like Basic Black in the photo - I promise it's Chocolate Chip!).
• Cut a piece of 2" x 3" Whisper White Cardstock on which you will stamp your focal image.  For this card, I used Aviary. Mat your Whisper White piece on 2 1/4" x 3 1/4" piece of Daffodil Delight and again on a piece of 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" of Chocolate Chip.  Adhere to front of card, using Stampin' Dimensionals.
• Stamp just 4 you (or sentiment of your choice) from Hodgepodge Happiness in Chocolate Chip on Whisper White Cardstock. Punch out using Word Window Punch. Mat in on piece of Chocolate Chip Cardstock punched with the Modern Label Punch. Adhere to front of card using Stampin' Dimensionals on ONE end and adhesive on the other.

Now...if you want directions for the other NINE cards we'll be making, you'll have to come to class!

Class will be held on April 30th at 1 p.m.  There is only enough space for 10 stampers, so you want to register EARLY!

COST: Register and pay by April by April 17th and pay only $25; after April 17th and up to including the 24th, pay $30.

SPECIAL OFFER!!!  Bring a friend and when you register and pre-pay for BOTH of you, you'll pay only $20 each!!!

Contact me directly to register for class and I'll send you a PayPal invoice.

Happy Stampin'!!!

Sunny Sunday Sketch - Week 20

Can you believe it? Twenty Weeks of Sunny Sunday Sketch! Of course, I'd be more impressed with myself if it was 20 CONSECUTIVE weeks...but what's a girl to do when life gets in the way?

Here is this weeks sketch:

And here's my take on it:

After making DH's staff Christmas cards this past week, I definitely wanted something CAS (Clean and Simple) and I find that Aviary is just the perfect set for this.

I cut a piece of Celebrations DSP to add to the front of my Whisper White Card and then stamped the cage and bird from Aviary using Pear Pizzazz and Pacific Point. I punched it out using my 1 3/8" circle punch and matted it on a piece Pacific Point punched with my 1 3/4" scalloped circle punch.

I stamped the sentiment directly on the front of the card (brave, I KNOW!!) in Pacific Point ink. I didn't use my Stamp-a-majig, but you might want to - LOL!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Aviary, Teeny Tiny Wishes

INK: Pear Pizzazz and Pacific Point

PAPERS: Whisper White and Pacific Point Cardstock; Celebrations DSP

ACCESSORIES: Punches, Stampin' Dimensionals, Basic Rhinestones

Happy Stampin'!

Aviary Colour Challenge

Earlier this week, there was a colour challenge over at SplitCoast Stampers.

Since I had a "bright" thing going on, I figured I'd keep it up and the colour challenge was perfect - Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise and Poppy Parade:

I punched out several circles in Poppy Parade and Sunny Garden Designer Series Papers and then stamped two of the birds from Aviary in Tempting Turquoise and Poppy Parade on Whisper White Cardstock. I punched the image out and matted it on a piece of Poppy Parade Cardstock and again on a piece of Tempting Turquoise punched out using my scallop circle punch. My image was adhered to the front of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

The sentiment, from a set that will be released in the OCCASIONS MINI on January 5th, is stamped in Poppy Parade on Whisper White Cardstock and punched out using my large oval punch. It was matted on a piece of Poppy Parade Cardstock punched out using my scalloped oval punch.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Aviary, You're a Gem

INK: Poppy Parade, Tempting Turquoise

PAPERS: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise and Poppy Parade Cardstock

ACCESSORIES: Punches, Stampin' Dimensionals, Basic Rhinestones

Happy Stampin'!

SCS Sketch Challenge - Aviary Thanks

This is my second post today...scroll down to see what else I've been up to!

Earlier this week, there was news that SplitCoast Stampers would be down for maintenance yesterday night and into this morning. Of course, this sent all SCSers into a panic! What? Our site? DOWN? What the heck would we do???

Fortunately, Roxie posted the sketch early, so I was able to work on it last night before I went to bed. I had to wait till this morning to get a good pic.

Here's my card:

I started off with the white base and knew I wanted something bright and warm since it's been a little cold in my part of the country!

I chose my papers from the Sunny Garden Designer Series Paper pack and my ink colours from there. I stamped the little cage first using Peach Parfait and then stamped my little bird friend in Poppy Parade. The sentiment was also stamped in Poppy Parade. I popped both the image and the sentiment off the card using Stampin' Dimensionals and added a little bling for the finishing touch.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Aviary and Teeny Tiny Wishes

INK: Peach Parfait and Poppy Parade

PAPERS: Whisper White, Peach Parfait and Poppy Parade Cardstock; Sunny Garden DSP

ACCESSORIES: Punches, Stampin' Dimensionals, Basic Rhinestones

Happy Stampin'!