SUDSOL BLOG TOUR - May Edition!

This post will remain static at the top until the SUDSOL blog tour!

Scroll down to see what else I've been up to!

MDS Monday - St. Mike's Majors

Welcome to another edition of MDS Monday - I'm glad you came!

Today's layout is brought to you by my son Jonathan! Well, he didn't MAKE it, but he is featured in it!

It's a pretty basic layout, but I like it. The photos are centre stage which is how scrapbooks should be, IMO.

In case it's too tiny, the journalling reads: Jonathan and several of his class mates and school mates were invited to sing the National Anthem at a local hockey game. Following the singing of the anthem, the students as well as their parents remained to watch the game. Our team WON!

My background paper is the "Baja Breeze Distressed" and I used the "Cracked" font in Baja Breeze for my titling. My journalling is in Century Schoolbook (my very FAVOURITE journalling font) using Not Quite Navy.

I hope this layout starts your week off with a smile!

Happy MDSin'!

Beyond the Garden - Card Set

Welcome Back!!!

I hope you enjoyed yesterday's sneak peek!  Today, I'll share the full cards with you. The design/sketch idea is based on cards by Mickey Roberts. I figured if she wasn't scared of the bright colours, I should give them a shot myself.

 All four cards are the same design, using different portions of the paper and different images from the Tiny Tags set. As I mentioned yesterday, rather than using the Tiny Tags Punch, I used the small oval punch (item # 120908 - $15.95).

I also used Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon and the little safety pins from the Vintage Trinkets set.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Tiny Tags
INK: Pacific Point
PAPERS: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight and Pacific Point Cardstock; Beyond the Garden DSP
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Punch, Vintage Trinkets, Basic Rhinestones, Basic Pearls

Happy Stampin'!

Sneak Peek Saturday with Beyond the Garden

How about a little sneak peek of something I've been doing? If you've seen the Summer Mini, you've seen the paper featured there, called "Beyond the Garden." I've got to tell you, that stuff is WAY outside my comfort zone!  However, my Caroline is using it for Stampin' Palooza, so I kinda need to get used it.

Here's a sneak peek at my first attempt:

I used one of the less scary papers (at least to me) for this one to lessen the shock - LOL!

I don't know if you can tell, but even though I used Tiny Tags, I didn't use the Tiny Tags punch, I used the small oval that was in the Holiday Mini (and is still available). And, you can JUST make out the safety pin from the Vintage Trinkets. I really didn't think I needed these, but...ummmmm...yeah - NEED 'EM!!!

And here's another sneak peek:

On this one, I used a Basic Rhinestone.

These two sneak peeks will be part of a set using all the same colours as well as the same design.  Each of the sentiments is different.

What do you think?

Come on back tomorrow and I'll show you ALL the cards!

STAMPS: Tiny Tags
INK: Pacific Point
PAPERS: Whisper White, Pacific Point and Daffodil Delight (even though you can't see it) Cardstock
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Punch, Vintage Trinkets, Basic Pearls, Basic Rhinestones

Happy Stampin'!

Did You Know?

Starting with the new 2010 Occasions Mini Catalogue and continuing with all new punch designs going forward, Stampin' Up! has adopted a new body style for our punches!

A few features of the new punch style:

• Low-profile, rectangular punch body allows for easier stacking and storing
• Punches lock shut for easier storage and transport
• Dual labels on top and end allow for easy identification and selection when stored
• Available in three sizes: small, medium, and extra-large
• New punches allow for larger punched images and more intricate designs while providing greater ease of use.
• Extra -large punch images also allow for two-step designs like the Two-Step Bird punch in the Occasions Mini Catalog
• Corner punches allow you to punch a corner design along the inside edges of a page, not just corners
• larger, whole-hand handle design provides better leverage for easier use
• Available in an exclusive Stampin' Up! color

For Teacher - The full set of teacher cards

This is my second post for today. Scroll down to see what else I've been doing!

I thought you might like to see the whole set of Teacher cards put together, so before I sold them, I took a picture.  If you'd like to purchase your own set, let me know.  You'll get all four cards and coordinating envelopes, packaged in a lovely white box tied with ribbon.

Here are all the cards together:

And here's a close up detail of the envelopes:

I learned long ago from my upline that you should NEVER give a card in a naked envelope! Normally, I would stamp on the envy, but in this case, I decided to add some coordinating DSP to the flap.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Greeting Card Kids, Teeny Tiny Wishes
INKS: Staz-On
PAPERS: As listed in previous posts
ACCESSORIES: As listed in previous posts

Happy Stampin'!

Watercolour Wednesday - For Teacher

I hope you've enjoyed this series of Watercolour Wednesday Teacher Cards.  Today's card is the last in the series.

Here's the detail on the front of the card.  I had SO much fun colouring my little Valentine girl.  I think she looks just adorable in So Saffron! Her little bow matches her dress - how cute!



For this card, I used Blushing Bride and So Saffron (despite the fact that, at least on my monitor, it looks more like Daffodil Delight).  I just love the combination of these two subtle colours together.  It DEFINITELY makes me think SPRING!

I sponged around the edges of the watercolour paper circle in Rose Red.  The sentiment is stamped using Rose Red and the stamping off technique.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Greeting Card Kids, Teeny Tiny Wishes
INK: Staz-ON, Rose Red
PAPERS: Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Blushing Bride and So Saffron Cardstock, Blushing Bride DSP (from hostess pack); Watercolour Paper
ACCESSORIES: Watercolour Crayons, Aqua Painters, Punches, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

MDS Monday - Here's the deal!

My apologies for posting so late in the day!  My boys had a professional development day at their school today, so they have kept me hopping!

Better late than never, right?

Here is today's MDS offering:

My plan was to stamp the image from Artistic Etchings the last time I was at my upline's so I could show you a comparison of the MDS version and the paper version, but she's leaving for cruise next week and so kept me VERY busy when I last worked with her!

At any rate, one of the reasons I simply LOVE MDS is that it allows you to "make" a card without using any paper.  Don't like the size of the background on your image panel? Just change it!  Think a different colour would work better? No problem! You get to create your card virtually and THEN, if you like, transfer it to paper.  No mess, no wasted paper.  Who wouldn't love that?

Well...if YOU like that idea, there is no better time than NOW to act! MDS, on it's own, is priced at $106.95. But during the month of May, which is National Scrapbooking Month (and digital scrapbooking is STILL scrapbooking!), you can get My Digital Studio as part of the Digital Starter Kit for just $150.50 instead of $215.

Check it out here:

You'll also get traditional stamps and papers as part of your starter kit as well. If you like, you can also add on the Stampin' Memories Kit for $42 instead of $60. You can't beat those prices!

So, for $150.50 you're getting over $375 worth of Stampin' UP! goodness! Of course...there's always MORE! The next five people to sign with me (and you can do that HERE) will get their choice of ANY PRICE stamp set from the NEW 2011-2012 catalog as soon as it goes live!  I'd LOVE to have you as part of my team. It doesn't matter if you're from Toronto, Tatamagouche or Squamish or anywhere in between! I support my team no matter the distance. You'll be joining a dynamic team of fabulous demonstrators.

Happy Stampin', Scrappin' and MDSin '!

A Sketch on Mother's Day

The first thing I have to tell you is that this ISN'T my sketch. At some point I'll like to get back to doing my Sunny Sunday Sketch series, but right now that doesn't seem feasible - there is just TOO much going on!

The sketch I used for today's card is from i{heart}2stamp:

And here's my card based on it:

Design Details:

• I started off with a black card base onto which I adhered a layer of Very Vanilla Cardstock (4 1/8" x 5 3/8") and a layer of Love Notes Designer Series Paper (4" x 5 1/4").
• I continued adding layers based on the sketch and added a strip of cardstock as well.
• For my circle detail, I used both of the swirly images from Priceless and stamped them in Riding Hood Red and Basic Black Classic Inks.
• My butterfly was stamped three times in Riding Hood Red and then hand cut before being adhered to the front of the card using both glue dots and Stampin' Dimensionals. You can see the technique using a different butterfly in this post.
• I stamped the "So Kind" sentiment in Riding Hood Red onto Very Vanilla Cardstock and punched it out using the Large Oval Punch.  It was then adhered to a piece of Basic Black Cardstock punched using the Scallop Oval Punch. Of course, Stampin' Dimensionals were used to adhere it to the front of the card.

Here's a look at the inside of the card:

I repeated the butterfly here and sponged the edges of the Very Vanilla Cardstock with Riding Hood Red Ink.

And finally, a close up of the butterfly detail:

With special thanks to Diana Gibbs! I won't pretend that I'm an accomplished photographer, but I do know a thing or two about my camera.  I can use it (with some success) in aperture mode as well as shutter priority mode.  Why then did it NEVER occur to me to use "macro" when doing close ups?  It seems Diana had the same issue, so when I read on HER blog that one of her friends had suggested she use "macro", well...let's just say it was a "face-palm" moment. *sigh*

What do you think?

STAMPS: Priceless

INK: Basic Black and Riding Hood Red

PAPERS: Very Vanilla, Basic Black and Riding Hood Red Cardstock; Love Notes DSP

ACCESSORIES: Punches, Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Things I learned on National Scrapbook Day

Thing 1:

• 12 X 12 Pages are HUGE! I'd forgotten just how big!  When I first started scrapbooking, I couldn't even begin to imagine how one would scrapbook on anything SMALLER than 12 X 12.  I mean...I had SO many pictures! How would I EVER get them ALL scrapbooked if I used anything smaller than 12 X 12?
• These days, when I scrapbook (which isn't very often), I think 8 X 8 is LARGER THAN LIFE!

Thing 2:

• Taking pictures of a 12 X 12 layout is hard!!! Getting it all into focus with NO shadows is next to impossible.

Thing 3:

• 12 X 12 scrapbooking leaves LOTS of room for journalling.  This is foreign to me now.  When I taught scrapbooking classes (before SU!), I would almost literally pound into my students' heads the need for handwritten journalling.
• These days (thanks to my discovery of 6 X 6) most of my journalling is reduced to a date or a quick caption...sometimes I even let the photos speak for themselves - the horror!!!

Here's my 12 X 12 for the day:

The journalling reads:

• Happy National Scrapbook Day! What does that have to do with these photos? Nothing really...except that I'm scrapbooking them on Naitonal Scrapbook Day. The photos themselves were taken on July 1st, 2004 when Jonathan had barely learned to walk, Colin still had "baby fat" and Lauren wasn't anywhere near "13 going on 30". We spent the day enjoying a country concert at Sunnyside Beach.

Products Used:

• 12 X 12 Whisper White Textured Cardstock
• Celebrations Designer Series Paper
• Celebrations Quick Accents
• 8 1/2 X 11 Real Red Cardstock, trimmed
• Pacific Point Marker, for journalling

And now, my preferred 6 X 6 size:

To note:

• I don't have a garden - LOL!  But when I do (we live in a high rise condo at the moment) I know I'll enjoy scrapbooking it since I much prefer taking pictures of "nature" than people. (Does that make be a bad momma?) The flowers can at least "stand still"...unlike my children. *sigh*
• When using a set of Sizzlet Die Cuts, use lower case if the size of the combined letters will be larger than your page - OOPS!!!  Thanks goodness creative license allows for overlapping!
• This layout uses the colours from the Stamping 411 challenge, which can be found here.

A closeup:

Design notes:

• I stamped the flower three times and then cut it out to make the different layers.
• The bottom layer is attached using glue dots and the next two were attached using Stampin' Dimensionals.
• I stamped the stem directly onto the Whisper White Cardstock using Pear Pizzazz ink. 

I hope you're enjoying National Scrapbook Day and that you have managed to get some scrapbooking time in!

Happy Scrappin'!

Did You Know?

Stampin' UP! isn't just about making cards.  What better time to explore our scrapbooking line than during National Scrapbooking Month!

Preserving Memories with Stampin' Memories
Combine your passion for stamping with your desire to preserve special moments by introducing rubber stamping into your scrapbooking. We offer a variety of options to help you capture any theme. Use our stamp sets to create personalized elements for your scrapbook pages, such as titles, accents, and journaling pieces.

Your friends and family will be grateful that you took time to preserve your memories. Explore the variety of options Stampin' Up! provides to help you capture any theme or occasion with our Stampin' Memories line specially formulated to keep your memories safe. With Stampin' Up!, you can preserve your memories so that your family will enjoy reminiscing over your albums in the future. 

All of our stamp sets can be used for scrapbooking, and you will especially enjoy using alphabet, word, and phrase stamps on your pages. In addition, we offer a range of scrapbooking products, including Craft ink, Simply Scrappin' kits, patterned paper, and more. Products especially suited for scrapbooking are designated with a Stampin' Memories logo.

Watercolour Wednesday - For Teacher

Welcome to week #3 in my series of Greeting Card Kids for teacher. This week features the Christmas card.

Since I coloured my little girl using blues, I went with non-traditional Christmas colours for  the card. Bashful Blue and Night of Navy make for a great combination! For my Designer Series Paper, I chose one of the patterns from the Regals Collection (item # 117154 - $24.95). This is a great collection of papers with 10 different colours featuring all the colours in the Regals Collection of colours.



Here you can see the sentiment detail, where I once again stamped the sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes onto Whisper White Cardstock.  I used Night of Navy and then matted the sentiment on Bashful Blue punched with the Modern Label Punch.

And, last but not least, the inside of the card.  All of the cards in this series are finished in the same manner.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Greeting Card Kids, Teeny Tiny Wishes
INK: Staz-On, Night of Navy
PAPERS: Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Bashful Blue and Night of Navy Cardstock; Nigt of Navy DSP; Watercolour Paper
ACCESSORIES: Watercolour Crayons, Aqua Painters, Punches, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

MDS Monday - Vegas Baby!!!

Two years in a row...it's all about Vegas baby!!!

My Caroline has asked me to join her in Vegas pre Founders Circle for two years now.  How could I say no?  There's lunch at the Bellagio and walking the strip.  Too much fun!!! The best part is all the Stampin' UP! friends I get to see once a year - WOOT!

And really...what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!

Happy MDSin'!

Strength and Hope - Campaign Starts TODAY!

With the launch of the summer mini, the Strength and Hope Campaign has officially begun!

With the purchase of each and every set of stamps (as well as the digital download), Stampin' UP! will donate $2 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. How awesome is THAT? You get a great stamp set and the BCRF gets a donation!

If you've seen this post, you've already seen the set in action.  And on this post, you get a REALLY nice close up of the butterfly.

If you want to see more projects that you can make with this set, just click here. Do note however, that the card listed as 6 X 6 is actually 3 X 6.

In other news, this is National Scrapbooking Month!

My love of paper crafts started just over 11 years ago in early spring 2000. A friend of mind dragged me to one of those parties (you know the one!) and we made a scrapbooking page.  I'm pretty sure I signed up that night! I became disenchanted with the company and their incessant need for the consultant to carry this huge inventory, not to mention the fact that they wanted us to say that if wasn't their product it was NO GOOD.

I never gave up my love of scrapbooking though...not until I discovered Stampin' UP! in 2004 (or somewhere around there!).  Then, I was all about the CARDS!  My scrapbooks lay untouched, pages unfinished - I think some of them still need journalling!

In an effort to get back into scrapbooking, I've challenged myself to complete a Page a Day in May!

To whit:

There's NO WAY that I could do a 12 X 12 page, which is kind of funny because when I first started scrapbooking, I simply could NOT understand how people created all these mini albums - LOL!

My poppies (from the BRAND NEW set Fabulous Florets released today) are stamped in Staz-On ink on our Watercolour Paper and coloured using our watercolour crayons and aqua painters.  *Really Christyne? You used watercolour crayons and aqua painters? How novel! We've never seen you use THOSE before!* Yeah...right - LOL!

Anyway...after they were coloured (and dry), I cut them all out (seven of them!) and adhered them to my page using either glue dots or Stampin' Dimensionals.

My white photo mat (still need to find a pic!) is sponged in Poppy Parade and my whole page was sponged with So Saffron Ink.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Fabulous Florets
INK:Staz-On, So Saffron, Poppy Parade, Wild Wasabi
PAPERS: Whisper White and So Saffron Cardstock; Watercolour Paper
ACCESSORIES: Watercolour Crayons, Aqua Painters, Sponges, Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Scrappin!

National Scrapbook Month starts Two DAYS EARLY!

Good news, good news!!!  National Scrapbook Month starts two days early - LUCKY US!!

Check out all the details here.  This promotion lasts for the whole month of May!

But wait, there's MORE! You can join Stampin' UP! RIGHT NOW with the Digital + Starter Kit for just $150.50! You can even add on the Stampin' Memories kit for just $42.  These two kits together are worth almost $500 and you can get them both for under $200. PLUS, there's NO shipping OR tax on the starter kit and it ships RIGHT to your door!

Get all the details for that here.  And, don't forget, the very next person to join my team will get a free Colour Coach and the free Level 3 Hostess set "Simply Sent, Cute as a Button", which contains EVERYTHING to complete eight cards, including the ink and stamps.

Happy Scrappin'!!!

Did You Know?

Stampin' Up! is proud to offer beautiful, affordable, high-quality stamps and accessories for a good value. You won't find better products for scrapbooking or handmade cards anywhere else!

We focus on making sure our product is of the highest quality. In addition to the deeply etched images on our rubber stamp sets (which result in sharp, clear images on your projects) and our exclusive products, we also have a stringent quality control process to ensure you get the best products possible. 

For example, we make sure our colours are true so you get beautiful coordination whether you're using Real Red ink, paper, ribbon, buttons, or anything else in our exclusive colors. If a batch of products isn't quality, we won't send them on to customers. 

Watercolour Wednesday - For Teacher

Welcome back!  I hope you enjoyed last week's post with a Halloween card for your child's classroom teacher. This week, I'm bringing you the perfect card for the first day of school (or last, depending on your preference).

Have a look:

You'll notice that the layout is the same.  I wanted to keep it consistent throughout the collection.  I think it makes it look more cohesive.

For this one, I chose Baja Breeze and Riding Hood Red to go along with the Sahara Sand card base. You've gotta love Sahara Sand for it's versatility.  You can pair it with pretty much anything!!


Here's a close up of the sentiment detail again.  As you already know from following my blog, one of my all time favourite accessories is STAMPIN' DIMENSIONALS! I don't think I can make a card without them anymore - LOL! I just love how they seem to add SO much dimension for such little effort.

If you don't have any Stampin' Dimensionals, you can order them now. Just click on the words above and the link will take you directly to my store and right to that product! Easy Peasy!  Then, you too can wonder how you ever lived without them!

I hope you enjoyed week #2 and that you'll be back again next week to see what else I've done.

STAMPS: Greeting Card Kids
INK: Staz-ON
PAPERS: Sahara Sand, Baja Breeze and Riding Hood Red Cardstock; Riding Hood Red DSP from Regals Paper Pack; Watercolour Paper
ACCESSORIES: Watercolour Crayons, Aqua Painters, Stampin' Dimensionals, Punches

Happy Stampin'!

On the Grow - Part Two

This is my second post for today, so scroll down to see what else I've been doing.

I couldn't very well show you one image from this fun stamp set and not share the other, so you get TWO cards today - lucky you!

I found an older Viva la Verve sketch that I used for this card. I completely fell in love with all those layers! Here are some of the details:




Don't you just LOVE those brads? On a recent order, I added all the brads that are available in the colour collections and I'm so glad I did! The ones I used for this card are Pumpkin Pie from the Brights Collection. One of my FAVOURITE things about Stampin' UP! is that everything matches!  So, you don't need to worry that your "orange" brads won't be the same shade as your "orange" paper.  Simply select the same "orange" and you're good to go! Inks and markers match too!

I finished the inside of this card with some matching paper and the Scallop Trim Border Punch.

Here's a close up of the coloured image:

I used Wild Wasabi and Garden Green to colour the leaves. For the flowers, I used Tangerine Tango, Cajun Craze and a touch of Cherry Cobbler for the flower middles. On the vase/jar, I used a touch of Bashful Blue and really washed it out, so it looked close to clear. The background was done using Peach Parfait, again, really washed out.

But Christyne, you're thinking...there's no Peach Parfait Watercolour Crayon, how did you do that?

Watercolouring using ink from an ink pad:

• While your ink pad is still closed, squeeze it a little bit.
• When you open your ink pad, you'll notice a small deposit of colour in the lid.
• Dip your Aqua Painter into ink on your lid and use this to colour your image.
• Couldn't be easier!

Here's my completed card:

I think this will be the card I send to my MIL for Mother's Day. Now I just need to come up with one for MY mom!

What do you think?

STAMPS: On the Grow - Available May 1st!
INKS: Staz-On, Peach Parfait
PAPERS: Whisper White, Rose Red and Tangerine Tango Cardstock; Sweet and Sour Specialty DSP (each it is clear embossed on one side!); Watercolour Paper.
ACCESSORIES: Watercolour Crayons, Aqua Painters, Brads, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

ATC Tuesday - On the Grow

I got On the Grow last week as part of my summer mini pre-order and couldn't wait to ink it up!  Of course, it just BEGS to be watercoloured, but then I would have had to wait till Watercolour Wednesday to showcase it. Since I just started a series last week, that would mean I'd have to wait till the middle of MAY to put this card up.  NO WAY!

So I decided to cheat a little and use if for ATC Tuesday this week.  You don't mind, right?

Here's the ATC portion of the card. I used a piece of our Watercolour Paper and trimmed it to 2 1/2 x 3 1/2". After I had it coloured, I decided that I wanted to add a border, so I trimmed it further to 2 1/4 x 3 1/4" so I could add a Melon Mambo mat making it ATC size (2 1/2 x 3 1/2"). 

This sentiment is SO. MUCH. FUN. And don't you just love the long banner? I got this FAB idea from Diana Gibbs for making a really long jewelry tag. Here's how you do it:

• Cut your strip of paper to 3/8" wide. At this point, it doesn't matter how long it is.
• Rather than just inserting it into the punch, flip the punch over and put one end into the punch going through the punch shape.
• It will look like one end of the paper is through the punch and then you'll have a long tail sticking out.
• Essentially what you're doing is just punching one end of paper. This creates your really LONG jewelry tag.
• Stamp your sentiment up close to the "tag" end (where the little circle is) and then use your square punch (size really doesn't matter - LOL!) to punch out the "banner" end.
• Embellish the tag as desired.  I took my 1/16" handheld punch and punched a hole in the little circle.  Then I tied a piece of Whisper White Baker's Twine through the hole.
• Adhere to your card using glue dots.  If you bend it up just a bit, it looks even MORE like a little banner.

Here's the finished card:

I used Pink Pirouette for my base and Pink Pirouette again for my first layer stamped with Versamark using the Flower Fest Set from the Summer Mini. I added a partial layer of Melon Mambo also stamped with the same flower and Versamark Ink.

My focal image is adhered to the front of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

What do you think?

STAMPS: On the Grow, Flower Fest

INK: Staz-On, Versamark

PAPERS: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette and Melon Mambo Cardstock; Watercolour Paper

ACCESSORIES: Punches, Watercolour Crayons, Aqua Painters, Stampin' Dimensionals, Whisper White Baker's Twine

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for a look at week #2 in my "For Teacher" series.

Happy Stampin'!

Holy Layers Batman! Can you say EXTRA POSTAGE?

This is my second post for today! Scroll down to see what else I've been doing!

When I saw this card by the lovely and talented Ann Schach, I just KNEW I'd have to recreate it! I mean really, how could you not? It's stunning!!!

Well, between the Creativ Festival and Easter, my "The Open Sea" set (123030 Wood - $32.95; 123032 Clear - $22.95), which will be available to order on May 1st when the Summer Mini launches, was left untouched.

Now, the Creativ Festival and Easter are behind us...the kids are hopped up on chocolate and doing their own thing, I decided it was time to create!

Since I don't have ALL the elements Ann used (I'm missing those GORGEOUS grommets - they'll be on my next order!), I had to improvise. I used these Antique Brad (117273 - $7.50) instead. I chose these ones in particular because I thought they looked a lot like a compass - carrying the theme!

I sure hope Ann doesn't mind my shameless CASEing of her card, because these elements are laid out exactly the same on her card.  Why mess with perfection?

Here's the completed card:

It's all in the details:

• Antique Brads - going rustic
• Distressing - a LOT of Early Espresso Ink
• Sponging - the Whisper White on which I stamped my images was a little too stark for my liking so I sponged all over them after I cut them out using my Early Espresso Classic Ink and a sponge
• Layers - oh how I love them!!! IMO, you can NEVER have too many layers on a card - sure, there's extra postage to be paid, but it's worth it
• Baker's Twine - not even available yet (will be May 1st) and I'm already crossing all my parts that it will be carried over into the new Idea Book and Catalog for the 2011-2012 year...LOVE this stuff!

Inside:

I continued sponging on the Whisper White so it wasn't so stark and layered the Whisper White Cardstock on the same piece of DSP that I used in the small panel on the front before adhering it to the inside of the card.

I stamped the Happy Father's Day on the inside as this will be FIL's Father's Day card. When I first saw this set, I just KNEW it would be perfect to create cards for him as he just loves boats and has even made a few rather large replica sail boats himself.

What do you think?

STAMPS: The Open Sea, Teeny Tiny Wishes

INK: Early Espresso, Not Quite Navy

PAPERS: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler and Not Quite Navy Cardstock; Nautical Expedition DSP

ACCESSORIES: Bakers Twine, Antique Brads, Metallic Brads and LOTS of Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

MDS Monday - Engineer in the Making

My BIL is an engineer. He studied for years and now owns his own construction business. So, ummm...if you need anybody, let me know!

Meanwhile, he's building a house for himself, my sister and their family.  When we visited last summer, the house was pretty much done (on the outside), but there were still some things that needed to be done.

Never one to shy away from work, Jonathan wanted to help:

He looked SO DARN CUTE in the construction hat, that I just had to snap a few pics!

Happy MDSin'!

P.S. Don't forget!  Ten Card Class is THIS Saturday, April 30th!!!  Check it out here.

Did You Know?

Exclusive Products
Stampin' Up! manufactures many of its own products, and contracts with other manufacturers to offer products exclusive to Stampin' Up! 

Exclusive Colours
Each of our exclusive colours is organized into one of our colour collections : Brights, Regals, Subtles, and Neutrals. Once you have selected your colour scheme, you have a full range of coordinating products to choose from while taking the guesswork out of color coordination. 
We also have an In Colour palette with five of the year's hottest colours. These shades are exclusive to our product lines, and you'll love how we incorporate them into our Designers Series paper, kits, and embellishments. 
Each year, we'll introduce five new In Colours, and you'll be able to enjoy them for two years. Just think, starting in 2011, you'll always have 10 trendy In Colours to choose from.

Exclusive Designs
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Watercolour Wednesday - For Teacher

This is week #1 of this series.  In the coming weeks, I'll be showing you four different cards that are just PERFECT for children to give to their teachers at different times of year.  Buy the set, and you're covered for the year!

My first card is a halloween card and my little painted lady is just too cute!

Since this is WATERCOLOUR Wednesday, she is, of course, water coloured.

I used my watercolour crayons (as usual) - don't know what I ever did without 'em! When I was done, I sponged around the outside edge of the punched image (used my 2 1/2" circle punch) using Concord Crush Ink.

My card base is Sahara Sand (which I'll use for all four cards) because I wanted a neutral shade and because I have LOTS of it - LOL!

I sponged the edges of each layer using matching ink for a little added interest and dimension.

 Here's some of the sentiment detail:

• stamped in Concord Crush
• Punched with Word Window Punch
• Layered on Pumpkin Pie Modern Label Punch
• Adhered with Stampin' Dimensionals ('cause you know me and those Dimensionals!)

And of course, the inside is finished with a strip of matching Designer Series Paper on Whisper White Cardstock.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Greeting Card Kids, Teeny Tiny Wishes
INK: Staz-On, Concord Crush, Pumpkin Pie
PAPERS: Sahara Sand, Pumpkin Pie, Concord Crush and Whisper White Cardstock; Watercolour Paper; Concord Crush DSP from Hostess Level 1 pack
ACCESSORIES: Punches, Watercolour Crayons, Aqua Painters, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

MDS Monday - SWIM

Yes, I KNOW it's Tuesday! And yes, I KNOW by the post date, this actually LOOKS like it was posted on Monday night...but yeah, SO not!!!

Anyway, here's my MDS Monday on a Tuesday:

I used Marina Mist and Not Quite Navy on this one. And my littlest man...of course!

Happy MDSin'!