Paper Daisy Sympathy/ Color Throwdown # 160

I was excited to see the opportunity presented by the folks over at The Color Throwdown this morning. You see, I tend to get stuck in a bit of a seasonal rut. So, I expected to break out more pumpkin and fall stamps today--- following my recent seasonal trend. However, there's just no way to make the color combo of Regal Rose, Early Espresso, & Very Vanilla work with leaves or pumpkins! That was great because I means I got to do something totally different. That's where this sympathy card came from. I've been wanting to use the Paper Daisies that came with one of my Convention projects for months now & this seemed the time to do it. In order to soften the Regal Rose a bit on this card I sponged it all with Early Espresso ink. In fact, I sponged darn near everything on this card! That trend wasn't stopped at all. :) For the background, I also added extra texture with the Color Spritzer tool & a trip through the Big Shot with the Finial Press folder. I find myself spending more time and attention to my backgrounds than my "featured" images lately. Perhaps yet another trend for me?

Spice Cake Mojo/ Mojo Monday #207

The ladies over at Mojo Monday took a couple of well deserved weeks off & I've had so little time for stamping lately, that creating for this sketch felt totally fun and new! I changed things up a bit, but so needed the starting point that the sketch provided. Looking at it yesterday, I knew that I wanted to feature the Spice Cake designer paper in my large rectangles, but had no idea where to take things from there. So, I just started prowling through my stamps. Then I realized that my Warmest Wishes hostess set from the new Holiday Mini has never seen ink! I couldn't let that last. :) All of us were given this set as one of several +one perks at convention in July. Now, it's finally the right time of year to use it. The leaf wreath from this set is so lovely & fits perfectly in the 2 1/2 " Circle Punch. Then, the you can easily punch out the center with the help of a 1 1/4" Circle punch & a post-it. Perhaps you're smarter than me & remember to punch out the center first. Then you don't even need the post-it note trick! The oak leaves from the wreath called out for the super cute acorn from Gently Falling. I was just talking with folks at class on Sunday about how much I love this little stamp. It's one of the main reasons I love the set so much! The folks at class will also attest to the fact that I've gone a bit sponging crazy. Don't be surprised to see at least one sponge in each bin at class from here on out. You see that I sponged most of the pieces on this card with Soft Suede. It was an important touch to the wreath and the sentiment. Otherwise they just really looked incomplete. I hope you are enjoying the start of fall. I plan on taking this day away from substitute teaching to focus on stamping. It's already off to a great start!

Well Worn Monogram

This is the last card for today's Fall Theme Class. Granted, it's not super fallesque, but it does use the right pallet of colors. I found the idea for the basic layout while cruising around Stampin' Connection (it's sort of like Facebook for just SU demos & just about stamping...one more perk of being a demo!). I love the combination of this pattern from the Well Worn DSP along with the image from Best Friends Forever & the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder. The three work so well together. Then I decided to take the vintage look a step further & added Log Cabin Smooch Spritz. Fun! I was stuck about what to put as my central image though. I wanted to keep the vintage/elegant feel so my Black Satin Ribbon was a must. While looking through my stamp sets to find just the right thing to feature, I saw my Occasions Alphabet set. Perfect! I didn't need any of the super cute quips for this card, but inking just the letter means that it's a great monogram set too! My very fist monogram card! It always feels good to try something new...at least in stamping. :)

The CASE of my Favorite Swap

Can you tell I've been reading too many mystery books lately? Well, this isn't a detective type "case". Nope, instead it's a case of Copy And Share Everything. :) At convention I got a bunch of wonderful swaps, but my very favorite provides the inspiration for this card. Unfortunately, the creator didn't put her name on the back so I'm not even sure who to thank for this lovely card! I'm pretty sure she was the lovely demo in front of me while we waited in line for Memento Mall. I send out my heartfelt thanks!

It's such a fun, yet simple card. Just stamp the grass from Inspired by Nature & then cut up the image into the little rectangles. I think the sponging around the edges really makes the whole thing pop. That sponging is continued on the ovals that make up our little pumpkin. Add a tiny bit of Old Olive ribbon to the ovals & you have a classic fall addition to any card. I simply couldn't resist getting out my Quilted Satin Ribbon for its first use on this card. You're going to love it in both Cherry Cobbler & Early Espresso. It's a winner for sure. :)

You just need to see this one in person...

I know that sort of defeats the whole purpose of a blog, but really it looks much better in person! It seems like forever since I've made a card and so I just started to play around with my Faith in Nature stamp set this morning. I'll create a few cards out of the chalked creations I made a bit later. For now though, the embossed leaf image will create an excellent addition to my Fall classes this month. Stamping the background wheel with Cajun Craze & then sponging the edges with Chocolate Chip created a sort of bronze effect on the background piece. The sponged edge of the Brushed Gold piece really makes it pop too. Then, the Chocolate Chip satin ribbon seals the deal with a rich finishing touch. Can you tell, I really like how this one turned out? I hope many of you can check it out in person at our next class. In fact, you'll be able to make one of your own!