Duck Baby--- Color Throwdown #286 & Mojo Monday #339

While I'm not out of practice in crafting, I sure am in posting any of my creations.  So I decided to double dip on this one.  It takes inspiration from both the Color Throwdown and Mojo Monday this week.  I was in need of a baby card recently and realized that my huge stash of cards contained not a single one!  It's time to fix that.  The rose bloom makes it impossible to mail except as part of a package, but I think it will typically accompany a gift for the new little person anyway.  Besides, the umbrella makes it a perfect shower card.

Mojo Monday #331/ Heart Mojo

What's black and white and red all over?  Apparently it's my submission for this week's Mojo Monday sketch. ;)

I find it pretty funny that when I announced class I was clear to say that there wouldn't be any Valentine projects.  Then, I started making a bunch of cards and several of them have turned out looking a whole lot like they are destined for February 14th.  I'm sure they could come in handy at other times too, but they definitely fit the bill for heart day.  And here I thought I didn't have any Valentines in me.

I had a ton of fun putting this one together.  It has fun textures on each of the hearts thanks to my little embosslit die and then a matching texture on the background.  There are way more hearts than are typical for me, but I get a kick out of them.  And I dig the way the bold colors play off of each other to make the whole thing pop.  It's a keeper.  Now I just need to pick which ones we'll make in class. ;) I think having this much selection is a good problem to have.

Color Throwdown #277

And, here's another contender for class next Sunday.  I went over to the Color Throwdown to see what they were up to this week.  As always, they had an excellent color pallet for me to put to use.  This time around it was Regal Rose, Baked Brown Sugar, and Soft Sky.  I didn't know what I wanted to create, but the Regal Rose made me itch to use my new Spiral Flower die.  There's no way this 3D beauty will make it through the mail on its own, but it is perfect to deliver in person or add to a gift box/bag.  I seem to be using a ton of my framelets this month too.  Each card seems to feature at least one if not more!  My guess is it's the ease that my Magnetic Platform gives me in using them now.  I'm afraid they used to collect a lot of dust because it just wasn't as easy to use them as my punches.  The certainty I get when using my Magnetic Platform changed all that though. It's easy as pie!  Ok, time to remember that this Sunday is focused on more than just crafting.  I think there's a football game of some sort I'm supposed to watch. ;)

Class Options for Feb 9th

 I traditionally only post one card at a time, but I find that if I have a whole bunch completed then some never make the light of day.  So, today I decided just to toss them all out at once. :)  Now, I don't have to fret about writing and dating each one and you can get a look at them all.  They are all in the running for class on Sunday Feb 9th along with some others that are still milling about in my head.  Not sure which will make the cut yet, but I'm interested in hear your opinion on the matter.  The cute little Mojo Valentine from Tuesday is a sure thing.  What do you think about the others?

Mojo Monday 330/ Tall and Skinny Valentine

Whew! It's been approximately forever since I've done a post and I figured there is no time like the present to fix that.  So, here is my version of the Mojo Monday sketch for this week.  As a twist, they have declared that the last week of the month will be a "tall and skinny" card.  It's pretty fun to switch things up with a slightly different shape, don't you think?  It still fits in a standard envelope but gives me room to let bits hang off the edge.  Take a look at the scallop circle.  It pops right off the edge but won't interfere with postage.  Perfect.

I'm afraid my photography skills got a bit rusty though.  You really should see this one in person.  It's definitely in the running for my class on the 9th.  I had such fun with the colors and layers for this one.  It was also so great to have the full complement of circle framelits so I could make sure no layer went undone.  There simply isn't a punch that makes the 1 3/4 Circle layer nicely with the XL Scallop Circle Punch.  Never fear though, my circles collection didn't let me down.  Stay tuned for more fun projects--- without having to wait MONTHS in between. ;)

Spooky Banner

Here's a project you won't want to miss!  In the new Holiday Catalog SU offers several banner kits.  By far my favorite, is the SPOOKY banner.  Isn't it fun?  All you need is the Banner Simply Created Kit and the Halloween Banner Simply Created Accessory Kit and a few Big Shot goodies.  Or, you can skip the big shot and order the Build a Banner Simply Created Kit in place of the Banner Simply Created kit.  The Build a Banner kit comes complete with stencils to create the letters & backgrounds.  I'm not much of a stencil person so I opted to use my Big Shot Alphabet die.  Goodness knows I have the toys, I may as well use them.

My hasty photo doesn't show off the banner as well as I would like, but I think you get the idea.  All the big pieces (skull, bat, and spider web) are this fantastic black glitter that shimmers nicely. And the banner sections are WAY larger than they looked in the catalog--- each is about 5in across & 7in long.   Such a fun finished product!!  I can't wait to hang it up.

Want one of your own?  Then contact me today to place an order, or better yet attend one of my Spooky Banner Classes on Sept 22nd or 23rd.  RSVP today to reserve your spot!

Color Throwdown #249

Time for a little Color Throwdown action.  I went there looking for inspiration at the end of last week.  While masculine cards are super hard, I find masculine cards for 14 year-olds even more difficult.  At least the Color Throdown gave me a fighting chance by picking out my color pallet for me. :)  Between the fairly patriotic colors (I think Poppy Parade & Bermuda Bay are off just enough to keep things interesting) and the different textures, this one is going to work out just fine.  Now I just need to pop it in the mail.  Why is it I never seem able to get birthday cards off on time???

Mojo Monday 300/ Many Mojo

It's hard to believe that the ladies over at Mojo Monday are already on their 300th sketch.  What a huge accomplishment!  I so enjoy playing along, and it's always a great way to get my creative juices flowing.  Right now, I'm working on a bunch of masculine cards for my class at the end of the month and it's great to have a starting place.  So, I took the sketch and added a little bit of a manly flare.  My sentiments are courtesy of one of my Paper Pumpkin kits.  They are so much fun!  I get a new box every month with a surprise project and the stamps to go with it.  It's great fun to create the projects, but even more fun to then use the supplies on new projects.  You too can join in the monthly fun.  Just visit www.mypaperpumkin.com and follow the easy steps to set up your own monthly crafting escape.  List me as your demonstrator and join my paper pumpkin patch!

Masking Tape Magic Fish

It's been forever since I've actually had time to sit and design a card all on my own.  However, when I received the Weekly Inkling from Splitcoast Stampers this week and saw the tutorial for Masking Tape Magic, I caught the bug.  I just had to try it out!  So I inked up some strips of masking tape and created this great little background.   I think the card will be a great addition to my masculine cards class in July.  Cards for men seem to be so much harder to me and I think this one will fit the bill nicely.  Add to that the fun of leaning a new technique and we have a win win situation!

Beau Chateau Mojo/ Mojo Monday #289

I woke up early enough this morning to take a look at the Mojo Monday sketch, but not early enough to do anything with it.  So, the wheels in my head were turning on ideas all day.  It was kind of fun, really.  I knew I really liked the sketch.  In fact, I may make several different cards based on this one.  However, I wasn't sure what exactly I would do with it.  As the day went on, it became clear to me who this card would be for and that always helps with design inspiration.  Sometimes it's great fun to design just for the fun of designing, but it's important to remember the real WHY behind homemade cards.  The point of this particular paper craft is to  send a message and love to some one we care about.  That's what I love most about making cards--- the creative processes brings joy to me and the finished product is designed to bring joy to someone else.  So, this little beauty will go out tomorrow to remind a friend of mine who is going through a tough time that she isn't going through it alone.  Thanks to the ladies at Mojo Monday for giving me a great launching point for this design.

Cloudy Whales

While enjoying my snow day yesterday, I decided to try yet another card challenge.  This time, I hopped on over to the Creative Card Crew blog to see what they were up to this week.  It turns out they are focusing on clouds.  Sounded fun, but I didn't think it would really work with my need to make one more baby card.  Little did I know that clouds would play an important role after all!  I'm not sure if it was just lurking in the back of my subconscious while I was designing, but I quickly realized that the perfect back ground for this super cute little card was my clouds embossing folder.   I was even more excited to discover that my little whale paper clip would be another great addition to the card.  It's always fun to find a way to use new embellishments!! (As if the stamp, die, & paper weren't enough whales for a girl to have) This card also gave me a chance to pay tribute to one of my favorite SU colors that will go away at the end of this catalog season--- Bashful Blue.  It's being replaced by the former In Color, Soft Sky, but I'm not quite ready to let go yet.  So, let's make cards while the sun still shines--- or while the snow still falls!

Whalecome Papertake Challenge

Today ended up as a bit of an oddity.  There were big predictions for a nasty winter storm in my area, so my school district decided to call school for today off around 10:30pm last night.  Wouldn't you know the storm didn't amount to much--- for us anyway.  However, it was way too late to call school back on, so I've had a pleasantly not very snowy snow day.  :)

It gave me a great opportunity to craft!  I decided to check out some card challenges I've never attempted before.  I settled on the Papertake Weekly Challenge for this card.  On their BINGO card I selected "die cut, free space, buttons".  Of course, I only used one button & it is kinda tiny.  :)  No worries though, I think it still counts.  I've been itching to use my coordinating whale stamps, paper, & die from the Spring Catalog and it just so happened that my friend is in need of a baby card.  All things came together nicely and resulted in this little creation.  I think I'm just as happy with the inside as the out today, so I'll post a photo of that as well:
Heck, this one is so cute, I think it may be time for a 5 card class so we can all make it!

Lovely As a Tree Mojo/ Mojo Monday #288

Ah, it feels good to get back into the Mojo Monday groove.  It's such fun to start the week off with a little crafty inspiration.  I went over to the Mojo Monday site this morning knowing I needed to make a sympathy card.  I think their sketch lends itself nicely to the simple elegance I like in any sympathy card.  For this one, I took out an old favorite.  Lovely as a Tree was the very first stamp set I ever bought from Stampin' Up.  It's also been in the catalog longer than any other current set.  I think you can see why.  Its simple beauty makes it just so versatile.  The best part was using this specific stamp with my new ink pads for the first time. In the past, it was a pretty difficult stamp to ink evenly.  I knew that I would have to stamp a few times to get an image that had a complete center.  Well, no more!  This one was a first shot. :) I know the super juicy ink pads take a bit to get used to, but boy do I love them.

Paper Pumpkin gets Pierced

     At last, the very first Paper Pumpkin arrived at my door last week.  I've been excited about it ever since Stampin' Up made their first Paper Pumpkin announcement.  What could be better than new inspiration AND new product arriving at my door each month?

   This first round included EVERYTHING needed to make four cards.  They, of course, had an idea in mind (picture on the left) but I simply couldn't leave well enough alone (picture on the right).  I went a little crazy with my paper piercing mat packs.  All of the ready to go templates that match my punches were just too much to resist.  I stayed completely true to SU's layout for this first card, but think I'll see what all I can do with the elements they provided.  Stay tuned for a bunch (or at least 4) Paper Pumpkin renditions.

   Did you miss out on this month's Paper Pumpkin?  No worries.  You can sign up for April and still get this welcome kit.  It includes a "D" block plus everything you need to make the cards.  Then you'll sync up with everyone else in May.  Just visit the Paper Pumpkin today & sign up!!  

Tootsie Pop Kids Valentine

Are you still searching for just the right Valentine to create for your little one's class Valentine exchange?  Well, I highly recommend this one.  A friend of mine saw it on Pintrest and created a bunch for a little person she knows.  The idea was so cute I just couldn't pass it up for my own niece.  And my nephew liked it so much we made a much less pink version for his class too.  It gives me yet another reason to be an advocate for capping class sizes! I've now assisted in the creation of about sixty of these little beauties.  My aspiring stampers helped me with the Big Shot (and with keeping count of how many flowers we needed to make).  They loved cranking the dies through and keeping track of how many we made.  This project was the final straw in my battle to not buy the Fun Flowers Bigz Die.  I've been resisting for years (literally) and keep seeing fun projects where you just have to have this die.  So, now I can rest easier knowing that it is mine.  :)  Along with the Fun Flowers Die I needed the now retired Daisies Die (you can still get it through Sizzix no worries) to make the completed flower.  Of course, I also curled each piece using my bone folder for a more flower like effect.  Then it was time for Eleanor to add her own touch.  She stamped all the sentiments herself and wrote her name on the back of each sentiment too.   She is, after all, an aspiring stamper. The little photo shows the finished project.  Of course, it's a bit blurry as excited five year olds have a heck of a time keeping still for photos!  Her mom came up with the great idea to load the flowers into a basket with a bit of florist foam.  Now they are completely portable and ready for the party on Thursday. I hope her classmates enjoy them as much as we did!

Stamp Camp Hello There

This card from Stamp Camp West uses a new stamp set and a new set of framelets from the Spring Catalog.  I completely dismissed this set until I used it for this card.  Simply lovely.  I think it would make an excellent sympathy card although it's also cheery enough to work for almost any occasion.  My favorite part about making this card was the inside.  It's typical for me to stamp an image on the liner of a card, but rare for me to do anything else.  Adding the satin ribbon (a real winner from Sale-a-bration) and punching the bottom edge of the liner makes for a much more complete finished product.  It's inspiring me to take more time with the insides of my cards from here on out.  There is plenty of room for both creativity and a message to the recipient.  I would do well not to forget that.

Stamp Camp Feel Goods Vase

There are extra points for creativity for this card.  Isn't it just the cutest?  And where, you may ask, did they find the stamp & framelet for that little vase?  Well, that's simple.  It's actually the top of a Christmas ornament from the Holiday Ornaments collection.  Isn't that clever?  All the credit goes to Rochelle Heart from Stamp Camp West.  ;)

And check out the creativity involved in transforming the simple flower from Nature Walk into quite the colorful bouquet.  I was excited to pick out my own bits and pieces to create the flowers.  I'm sure each person at Stamp Camp created something different.  That's one of my favorite parts of stamping!
 
As promised yesterday, this card also features the International Bazaar designer paper.  It has quite the different feel though, don't you think?  It's one of the things I love the most about Stampin' Up designer paper packs--- you can make so many very different projects all from the same pack.

Stamp Camp World Treasures

Here's another Stamp Camp creation to share with you!  This time it features the International Bazaar product suite.  Tomorrow I'll show you another card that uses the same designer series paper to a very different effect.  Doesn't this one just shout "spring" to you?  Perhaps I'm rushing things a bit, but I'm longing for the cheerfulness of spring cards.

Along with the cheerfulness, I also love the simplicity of this card. It was quick and easy to make (thanks to new oval framelets and the ever essential punches) but still really pops.  Of course, any sentiment from the Fabulous Phrases set would work.  That truly makes this an "all occasions" card. ;)

I don't order the full World Treasures stamp set because I ordered the peacock stamp while it was available as a single stamp.  Now, I'm starting to rethink that decision.  Those flowers are pretty keen.  Now there is a whole new bunch of single stamps available   Interested in checking them out?  Reply to this post & I'll send you a flyer.

FTL 226/ Bloomin' Sketch

Today, I decided to try out a new sketch challenge.  I discovered the FTL sketches over on Clean &Simple Stamping yesterday and couldn't wait to try out this one.  So, I woke up early and got it mostly together before I left for work.  Sure haven't done that in a while!  Of course, I stamped the little flower about a dozen times with different color combos before I decided on this sort of batik look created with three different markers.  And, I'm still doing battle with my iphone to create super clear images...it looked great on the phone, but less so here. Bare with me while I figure out technology.  ;)

The set featured here is my very favorite from the Sale-a-bration offerings--- Bloomin' Marvelous.  Oh, and it's helped out a bit by the leaves from Very Vintage.   You'll forgive me for them being retired, right?  They are just such a perfect match!  I used some of my paper piercing mats (I now buy all that they put out) to add a little extra flare while keeping things simple.  I think the FTL sketches will be good for me.  They seem simple yet elegant.  It's good for me to remember that less really is more from time to time!

Stamp Camp Chalk Board

Okay, first things first with this one.  I need your help.  This card is another of the creations I made at Stamp Camp West.  The only really weird thing for me about SCW is that I'm often in such a hurry that I don't actually find out what set I'm stamping with.  I just grab the assigned stamp and go!  So, please enlighten me.  Which stamp set did I use here?  Extra credit to who ever can straighten me out.  I've searched the catalogs and come up blank.  Thanks in advance for your help!  Clearly it's one of the few sets I don't own. ;)

Even if I don't know which set I used, I know I had a great time creating this chalk board effect.  It's a little different than the one from yesterday.  For this card, we put Craft White ink on large acrylic block & spritzed it with a bit of water.  Then, we sponged some  Basic Black cardstock to create the chalk board.  The stamped images are done with full strength Craft White and not embossed.  There are so many uses for chalk board cards.  You can already see the contrast with the card from yesterday.   It would also make a great technique for a kid card, or a teacher card, or perhaps a coach.  Lots of options!